


i'll keep your brittle heart warm

by myaimistrue



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Dragon Age: Origins Quest - The Landsmeet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:01:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27718558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myaimistrue/pseuds/myaimistrue
Summary: “I think you should be king, Alistair. Do you?”Elissa and Alistair tell stories and talk about the Landsmeet.
Relationships: Alistair & Female Warden (Dragon Age), Alistair/Female Cousland (Dragon Age), Alistair/Female Warden (Dragon Age), Alistair/Warden (Dragon Age)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	i'll keep your brittle heart warm

**Author's Note:**

> TW for a very very brief mention of suicidal thoughts.

As Elissa left Anora’s room, the growing sense of dread in her chest about the Landsmeet only grew. She needed to find Alistair and talk to him, to make some kind of decision, because otherwise, she felt certain things were going to go terribly wrong. It was like something was looming over them all, something she couldn’t see but knew was there. Something bad.

She found Alistair in one of the small side rooms of the Estate, ready to unload on him about everything, but stopped in the doorway. Alistair was crouched down talking to a little boy, one of the scullions who was always running around in the gardens, and his sweet face was staring up at Alistair with something resembling awe. She couldn’t help but smile as she listened to them talk.

“And then, she turned into a golem! She towered over all of us, as big as anything you’ve ever seen, and then the terrible dragon started shaking in fear, and— wait, do you know what a golem is?”

“It’s one of them stone things, isn’t it?” The little boy said. He couldn’t have been more than seven or eight. “It runs around and stomps on bad guys.”

“Yes, exactly.” Alistair grinned. “Now, where were we? Oh, the evil dragon! He was terrified. ‘No, please, don’t kill me,’ He cried. But Elissa, who was now the biggest stone golem you’ve ever seen, didn’t listen. She picked up a giant pillar and threw it will all her might at the dragon!”

“And then what happened?” The boy’s eyes were wide and expectant.

“And then there was an enormous explosion that knocked everyone back on their feet! Elissa added, trying not to smile too much at the delighted expression on Alistair’s face as she spoke. “The dragon had been defeated.”

“Tommy, do you know who this is?” Alistair stage-whispered.

“Who?”

“This is Elissa, the hero Grey Warden, in the flesh.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Elissa said kindly.

Tommy looked between her and Alistair with suspicion. “Are you really her?  _ Really _ ?”

“I am. I killed the dragon in the story, and lots of other monsters.” Elissa glanced around conspiratorially and leaned in toward him. “But you can’t tell anybody that I can turn into a golem. It’s my most secret power.”

Tommy’s face took on a humorously solemn expression, like that of an old military general, and Elissa tried not to laugh. “I won’t.”

“Do you promise?” Alistair added, also barely holding in laughter.

“I promise.”

“Good.” Alistair stood up and ruffled Tommy’s hair, who smiled up at him. He was so good with children, Elissa had learned, and it was hard not to imagine what he would be like as a father. She knew he’d be incredible. “Now, you’d better be off, but I’ll tell you some more stories later. Maybe Elissa will join us?”

“Oh, I certainly will,” She said.

“Thank you!” Tommy smiled brightly and scurried away, practically vibrating with excitement over the prospect of more stories.

Alistair watched the boy’s retreating figure fondly, and then said, “You just made his day.”

“Only because you told him a ridiculous story about me.”

“Hey, it wasn’t ridiculous! Every bit of that story was true. Mostly.”

“I cannot turn into a golem, Alistair.”

“You could when we got caught in the Fade at the Circle.”

Elissa just laughed, because he always made her laugh, and rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “That was very different, but fine. I suppose I can put up with you telling amazing lies about me.”

“It’s hard to come up with any good ones, you know.” He put on that smile he always did when he was being romantic, sweet and goofy and loving. “You’ve already done so many incredible things. My imagination can’t match up.”

“Sweet talker.”

“What can I say?” Alistair snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. “How else could I have gotten you to fall in love with me?”

“You  _ are  _ very convincing…” She kissed him, but as wonderful as it was, it couldn’t make her forget the reason she had sought him out in the first place. She pulled away. “And you’re also distracting. I have to talk to you.”

Alistair sighed, one hand still on her jaw. “I suspect it’s not anywhere near as fun as what you and I were just doing, is it?

“No, unfortunately.” Elissa crossed her arms and put some space between them, just to make sure they both stayed focused. “I just spoke to Anora. We had a very interesting conversation.”

“Oh?” His expression and voice were both strangely neutral.

“She wants my support at the Landsmeet.”

Alistair frowned. “That isn’t surprising. She wants to rule more than anything, and you’re going to have a say in whose head they stick the crown on.”

“I told her I wouldn’t back up her claim,” Elissa said, forging on despite his refusal to engage in the conversation she was trying to have with him. “I made my allegiance very clear.”

“Of course,” Alistair said sagely. “Your allegiance to whom?”

“I’m being serious about this.”

“So am I!” But the joke fell flat.

Elissa looked at him intensely. “I think  _ you  _ should be king, Alistair. Do you?”

Any remaining cheer in his face disappeared, and he turned away from her. “No.”

“No?”

“I don’t have anything I need to be a king except for the right father. The rest of me is all wrong,” Alistair said, all of it coming out in a rush, as though he’d been holding this inside for a long time. “I’m not smart enough or brave enough or assertive enough. I don’t have any experience, and I certainly can’t lead a country. Anora is the better fit.”

Elissa’s heart sank. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do.” His voice had an edge of frustration that she hadn’t heard in it before. “I’m not the man any of you think I am, alright? I’m not a king. I’m just a Grey Warden, and I’m not even a particularly good one.”

Elissa grabbed his arm. “None of that is true.”

“Really?” He turned to face her, and she was taken aback by the look on his face, the anger. If she didn’t know him, she might even find him frightening. “Because I know myself, Elissa. No matter what you or Eamon or anyone else might think, I know who I am. Nothing but another bastard.”

There was dead silence after he said that. Elissa felt her heart twist in her chest as he looked away again. “Alistair,” Her voice was low, but it cut through the quiet the same way a shout would have. “Look at me.”

“Elissa—”

She reached out and took her face in his hands as gently as she could. “Please. Look at me, love.”

Reluctantly, he met her eyes. “What?”

“I…” Elissa surveyed his face, and marveled as she so often did at how lucky she was. Maker, she loved him. “After my family died, I thought I would never be myself again. Everything was a battle, and all I wanted was to rest. I didn’t care if I lived or died. And you… Alistair, you reminded me of all the things that are beautiful in this world. You made me laugh, and you fought alongside me, and you helped me through.” She kissed him softly, and when she pulled away, his expression had softened. “You are an incredible man. The very best. And if you truly don’t want to be king, I understand. We’ll run off, you and me, and live in a little cottage somewhere. We’ll forget about all of this, about the war, and we’ll have a life together, a quiet, amazing life, if that’s what you’d like.”

“You would do that?” He asked emotionally.

“Of course I would. Happily.” Elissa ran her thumb across his cheek. “But we have a duty to the Grey Wardens and the people of Ferelden.  _ You  _ have a duty. And whether you believe it or not, I know you’re the right person to rule.”

Alistair held her gaze for a long moment, an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face. “You’re really that certain?”

“I am.”

Alistair leaned in and kissed her deeply. When he pulled away, both of them breathless, he touched his forehead to hers and said, with something like reverence. “I love you. And if you believe in me that much… then maybe I should listen to you.”

“That would be a welcome change.” He laughed softly, and Elissa smiled. “And I love you too.”

“Well, aren’t we just sickening?”

They both laughed, then, and it was a brief moment, dwarfed by all the things that were waiting for them, the death and the destruction. But it was still a good moment. A moment where both of them loved no one more than each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "peace" by Taylor Swift
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this! Comments and kudos are always appreciated.


End file.
